Do restaurant meals and snack attacks leave you with rheumatoid arthritis aches and pains? Certain foods – some of your favorites, like steak and cookies – may be causing flareups. Find out what you should stay away from and how to pick tasty substitutes for a healthy rheumatoid arthritis diet...

When you have rheumatoid arthritis (RA), a restaurant menu or open refrigerator can seem like a test: Can you find foods that satisfy your cravings without making joints swell, ache and stiffen?

Definitely. It’s easier than you think.

You can still eat meat – as long as you choose leaner cuts. Crave salty snacks? Eat nuts instead of chips.

The key is following an anti-inflammatory diet, which helps you avoid RA flares. And these smarter food choices aren’t necessarily boring ones.

Antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables, high-fiber grains and healthy fats all constitute a rheumatoid arthritis diet that can help you reduce RA aches – in a matter of days.

“I start my RA patients on a general anti-inflammatory diet, and they feel better within a week,” says internist Leo Galland, M.D., whose book The Fat Resistance Diet(Three Rivers Press) is based on anti-inflammatory foods.

“Their pain and stiffness is greatly reduced.”

We asked RA experts how to avoid flareups without sacrificing your favorite treats. Here’s what they said:

If it’s protein you crave, get it from salmon or mackerel, which are rich in healthful omega-3 fatty acids (you’ll learn more about their health-boosting benefits in the next section).

But “get more fats from plant sources than animal,” says David Rakel, M.D, director of Integrative Medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine.

“Fat isn’t bad, but we need more polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, such as those found in olive oil, nuts and avocados.”

2. Store-bought chips, margarineWhy they’re RA triggers: These snacks and spreads contain trans-fatty acids (TFAs), oils that are chemically processed to make them more solid and stable.

A diet high in TFAs increases C-reactive protein, a marker doctors use to indicate the amount of inflammation in the blood, according to a 2004 Harvard Medical School study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

The study showed that TFA-rich foods had a profound effect on inflammatory markers, making them twice as dangerous as saturated fats.

“Adding TFAs to the American diet was one of the worst things we could have done. The body requires a lot more energy to break down trans fats, which creates inflammation,” Dr. Rakel says.

(Click here to learn more about his recommended steps for a healthier diet.)

TFAs show up in many packaged and processed foods, but they’re easily detected: Just look at the nutrition label.

Since 2008, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has required that all U.S. food manufacturers list trans fats.

But watch out: Even if a label proclaims zero trans fats, it’s not necessarily free of them.

Federal regulations allow products containing up to half a gram of trans fat per serving to be labeled as “trans-fat free.”

That means consumers can easily exceed the maximum daily recommended amount of trans fats (1.11 grams) with just three pieces of toast spread with “trans-fat-free” margarine.

A safer bet: Stay away from products that include partially hydrogenated oils on the ingredient list; that’s code for trans-fat content.

Anti-inflammatory diet alternative:Nuts and seeds contain omega-3 fatty acids, a healthier fat that reduces levels of C-reactive protein, according to a 2009 study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

“When you crave a crunchy snack, dump the chips and scoop up a handful of walnuts, a great source of omega-3,” says Joan Levinthal, a registered dietitian in Woodland Hills, Calif.

What’s Your Inflammation IQ? Inflammation has become a hot topic over the last few years. The latest scientific research indicates that inflammation is behind more than 80% of the conditions we suffer from – everything from arthritis to heart disease. Dr. Mark Hyman, author of The UltraSimple Diet, agrees that inflammation leads to a host of health problems. Fighting it can get you on track to a healthier, happier life. Take this inflammation quiz and find out how much you may already know.

The information contained on www.lifescript.com(the "Site") is provided for informational purposes only and is not meant to substitute for advice from your doctor or health-care professional. This information should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, or prescribing any medication. Always seek the advice of a qualified health-care professional regarding any medical condition. Information and statements provided by the site about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Lifescript does not recommend or endorse any specific tests, physicians, third-party products, procedures, opinions, or other information mentioned on the Site. Reliance on any information provided by Lifescript is solely at your own risk.